


Shipwreck

by fourforfour



Category: Aquaman (2018)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:16:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22496284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fourforfour/pseuds/fourforfour
Summary: Arthur Curry's best friend, Sera Jones, was nothing really special or remarkable. Not in her own eyes, anyways, and definitely not compared to Aquaman himself. She couldn't quite believe he was - essentially - some kind of sea god. Especially after watching him pick his boogers and cry after falling down as a kid. But alas, he had unmatched powers and could travel the sea at will, which of course tore him in two between his life on land and his life underwater. She'd known that the love she had for him would never work, and so she'd buried it as deep down as a ship wrecked at the bottom of the ocean. Life has a way of turning everything on its head, however, when Arthur's latest adventure brings home his long-lost mother and the start of Sera's own journey.
Relationships: Arthur Curry/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Introductory Rambling

Full Story Summary: 

Arthur Curry's best friend, Sera Jones, was nothing really special or remarkable. Not in her own eyes, anyways, and definitely not compared to Aquaman himself. She couldn't quite believe he was - essentially - some kind of sea god. Especially after watching him pick his boogers and cry after falling down as a kid. But alas, he had unmatched powers and could travel the sea at will, which of course tore him in two between his life on land and his life underwater. She'd known that the love she had for him would never work, and so she'd buried it as deep down as a ship wrecked at the bottom of the ocean. Sera had resigned herself to being normal, as normal as she could be, while her friend lived a life of wonder and adventure. She became an artist, and brought to life the stories he would tell her when he returned home from another voyage to the far reaches of the world. Funnily enough, the jealousy and lust she had for Arthur and his adventures was unmatched in comparison to her fear of the sea's depths. She'd never once swam in the ocean, despite being fascinated by it. Life has a way of turning everything on its head, however, when Arthur's latest adventure brings home his long-lost mother and the start of Sera's own journey.

* * *

This story is coming soon! I just had to get this summary out of my head so that I could move on with my life, but working on the first chapter :) Funnily enough, I'm not really the BIGGEST fan of the Aquaman movie, but I couldn't help but feel like there was a lot of untapped plot and drama within this franchise, which of course I'm exploring through an OC (which will hopefully not be too mary sue-y). Please feel free to bookmark if you want to stay updated. Will update tags as the story progresses.


	2. The Abandoned Daughter

The year was 1991, and Atlanna had finally put her son to bed. Outside, there was a raging storm surrounding Amnesty Bay, and she could hear waves crash onto the shore near the lighthouse. She stood at the window, watching lightning crawl across the sky as the winds howled.

It almost reminded her of her first real night on land.

Hurricanes rarely hit Maine, but this year had been different, with a hurricane season that had been almost trifold more active than normal. Atlanna couldn’t help but wonder what this storm would dredge up from the seas. The last had brought with it dead sea life and crashed ships.

Not many thought of it, but Atlanna knew from experience that hurricanes could have devastating affect on all oceanic life - Atlantians included. They caused sand clouds that blocked sunlight, violent currents that destroyed coral reefs and anything else in their paths, and changed the very balance of the nutrients and salt levels in the sea, creating a ricochet effect within the food chain.

She prayed that the people of her kingdom were safe - a thing she often prayed for, despite her status as a queen who had abandoned her people. Her mind flashed back to her son, Arthur, and his smiling face. She couldn’t help but not feel even one lick of remorse for her actions. Without them, she wouldn't have the life she did now. It was selfish, but she wanted to keep and protect the soul-shaking love she had found on land. 

A figure caught her attention then, as she stared out the window. He walked directly out of the churning sea, seemingly unaffected by the chaos around him, and carrying something in his arms. The man seemed to stop and stare directly at Atlanna, the whites of his eyes briefly visible, and her pulse jumped into a breakneck speed.

She was out of the door and downstairs in a flash, taking her trident with her. “Thomas,” she called out to the man she considered her husband, despite their lack of ceremony. “The day we have feared may have arrived.” She spoke quickly, as Thomas pushed himself up from his slumber on their queen size bed. His hair was disheveled as he wiped his mouth in confusion.

“There is a man outside. He is from my world, and alone. I don’t know if he’s a threat, but it can’t be good. I’ve been found.” She rambled, as Thomas’ face dawned in realization.

“I’m going to meet him." She continued, there being no time for any further explanation. "Watch Arthur, keep him safe,” She ordered regally before pausing. “I love you.” Atlanna softly finished, noticing the quiver in her own voice. 

Thomas quickly stood and marched over to her, settling his hands on her shoulders. “Be safe, I love you...” He trailed off, wanting to say more but unsure of what exactly to say. A loud crack of thunder interrupted him, and sharpened Atlanna’s focus.

She quickly turned and walked out of the lighthouse without another word, gripping her trident as her muscles remembered her lethal fighting styles.

As soon as she opened the wooden front door, the storm rushed up to greet her, the harsh winds whipping back her long blonde tresses. She did not have to look hard to find the man; he was in the same spot where she had last seen him. A crack of lightning revealed him even clearer for a moment, several yards away from the lighthouse. Atlanna frowned, not recognizing his armor.

He held up a hand, as if to say, _I am not a threat_, although his other arm remained curled around whatever it was he was holding.

The seemed to stare at each other forever, before she finally read his lips move. “You are Atlanna,” he stated plainly.

She couldn’t quite hear him, despite her heightened senses, due to the storm raging around them. Her name was unmistakable though, and her stomach dropped at the confirmation that she had been found. Waves crashed around the man’s legs and waist, and he began to walk towards Atlanna, shielding the thing in his arms.

As he neared, she realized the thing in his arms was a child. Messy, wet blonde hair covered her face, but Atlanna could tell she was about the same size as Arthur, if not slightly bigger. The child was clutching the front of the man’s armor and sobbing, soft cries that made her heart clench despite the present situation. She wore a plain gray cloth dress, her pale legs sticking out awkwardly, and contrasting with the man's elaborate armor. 

“Who are you?” Atlanna demanded, unsure what to make of the man. She could see that he had long, black hair, and a regal face that reminded her of her homeland. His armor was pure white, with gold inlay. She frowned, perplexed.

“I am not a threat to you,” He answered after a moment, staring her down in evaluation of the elusive Queen of Atlantis. 

“Why are you here, then - and how did you find me?” She glared, disbelieving, fiercely baring her teeth. 

“The sea bore witness to your arrival, and I persuaded it to tell me.” He smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. 

Atlanna did not know how to respond to that, and so she didn’t. “I’m not returning to Atlantis, and if you are here to take me, I will kill you.” She stated calmly, meaning every word of it.

He shook his head decisively. “I do not care for Atlantean politics, queen. I seek your help, not your harm.”

She blinked at that. “You say that as though you are not Atlantean?” 

“Correct." He agreed, looking around at their surroundings. "May we... speak elsewhere? I ensure I intend you no harm.” 

“Here is fine. You may not come inside.”

The man’s eyes flicked to the lighthouse, and he seemed to understand that there was something inside she meant to protect. 

“Are there no other means of shelter, then?”

She frowned at him, yet again. 

“I simply wish to remove the child from the storm. She is frightened.” 

Atlanna willed herself to look down at the child, and she felt something in her resolve give at the sight of the trembling girl. She peeked out at the queen from her tangle of hair, green eyes reflecting the lightning flashing across the sky. The girl quickly ducked her head back into the man’s chest. 

The queen gave a tight nod in acquiescence, motioning for the man to follow her. To the outside world, they probably looked crazy walking around on the shoreline, although the storm did not affect them in ways it would have any human. They must have walked for about 15 minutes before coming across heightened, rockier terrain. A worn walkway led them to a small cave tucked away within the jutting cliffside. The water did not reach high enough to flood the cave, and Atlanna felt it would be safe enough as long as she stood close to the entrance, allowing the man and child to enter before her. 

There, the man turned to her and told her a tale that forever changed the way she viewed the beginnings of Atlantis. She understood that she needed to help the man and the girl shivering in the cave. Before she knew it, Atlanna had agreed to help, and now carried the girl in her arms as she walked the man back to the sea. He said goodbye to the girl, cupping her face fondly, as Atlanna stiffened in knowledge of what was coming.

Leaning forward, he slipped a pearl ring onto her finger, and the girl's eyes widened before she instantly relaxed into Atlanna's arms. Slumber had taken her, and Atlanna could feel in her arms that the girl was changing in ways she would never comprehend. The ring flashed in the light, and the man gave Atlanna a grave look.

”This ring must never leave her.” He explained, although she knew the importance of it already. 

“Yes,” She agreed, although she refused to provide any assurances. You never knew what the future had in store, after all. 

"What shall I call her?" Atlanna called after the man, before he could fully disappear back into the churning waters. 

"Her name is lost now, call her whatever you desire." 

The man laid back into the crashing waves without another word, disappearing into the blackness of the night. 

Atlanna clutched at the girl, her brows furrowing. 

_How in the hell was she going to explain this to Thomas?_


	3. Siren's Ink

The mechanical _bzz _filling the room was a source of comfort for Sera, as she hunched over the tall man who was currently laying on her table.

They were in her corner of the tattoo shop where she worked part-time. The business had black walls accentuated by stylized prints of her and the other artists’ works. She clutched her tattoo gun in her hands, her latex gloves fitted to her skin perfectly, as she focused on a tight curve in the man's tattoo. 

This was a typical, familiar Friday night for her at Siren's Ink, the lone tattoo parlor in Amnesty Bay. The only source of discomfort she was currently feeling was from the gaze of the man she was needling ink into. He'd waltzed into the shop about an hour ago trying to get a walk-in, and she normally would've turned him away, but luckily for him, her client had cancelled last minute due to a family emergency. She'd figured, _what the hell_. Normally, clients had to request an appointment well in advance to get a spot with her. 

He had been particularly interested in her designs once he caught sight of them, which may have been just the flattery she had needed to give into him. 

"You sure don't talk a lot, do you?" He rasped up at her, the timbre of his voice sending a smooth chill up her spine. She leaned away from him, tattoo gun deftly lifted off his skin, as he started to talk. "Seeing as I'm tattooing the side of your neck, I don't think a conversation is the safest thing for you, do you?" Sera asked haughtily, raising her eyebrow at the man. She'd seen on the disclaimer paperwork he signed that his name was Sal Borghese - a rather ugly and simultaneously unique name that had caught her attention, despite her usually uninterested demeanor.

His height had filled the room in a manner that had reminded her of Arthur a bit, so she supposed that that was probably some of the allure. She decided to disregard the man otherwise, pretending not to notice his brutishly handsome face and the black tattoos that curled over his tanned arms, visible from his plain white t-shirt. Unlike Arthur, his hair was a close-cropped dark blonde that somehow still managed to look disheveled. It wasn't until he laid down and his face grimaced in pain from the stab of her needle, that she felt a little more comfortable around the man. 

She'd wanted to find something about him to look down on, but she'd noticed that even his choice of tattoos was pretty good. He was currently getting a swallow on the side of his neck, its wings extending behind his ear and down to the dip of his shoulder. It was one of her own designs, one that he had chosen from the sample designs she had on display at the front of the shop. 

"Well, I'm a bit of a nervous talker, and every time you lean close to me, my nerves are set off." He smiled pleasantly, a twinkle in his eye as he shot her a quick wink. 

Sera snorted derisively. "Shut up before I tattoo an infinity sign on your forehead." She quipped, failing to fully hide the smirk that had crept onto her face. 

She leaned up close to his neck again before freezing as she saw the cords in his neck begin to move. "Gods, there you go again. You sure smell nice... is that perfume?"

Sera's eyebrows dipped downwards as she sighed. "Dude, have you never talked to a woman before? That is like a super creepy thing to say."

He placed a hand on his heart and clenched his eyes, looking rather ridiculous with ink/blood/goop pooling on his skin. "She thinks I'm creepy, I'm totally blowing this."

Her eyes narrowed at his antics, realization dawning on her. The way he had zeroed in on her as soon as he came into the shop suddenly made a lot more sense. "Please tell me you did not come in here and randomly decide to get a **neck tattoo** because you wanted to have a flirt? You realize this is a permanent decision, yes?" 

The man, Sal, began to laugh at this, his voice almost croaking in fake agony. "You've caught me, I'm a pathetic fuck. You should just take me on a date to put me out of my misery." Sera blew air out the side of her mouth at that, struggling to keep her composure. Part of her wanted to break into laughter, while another part of her just wanted to yell at him. "Oh my God, I don't even know you," she groaned. 

It's not that she was _completely uninterested ._ After all, he was pretty much her type. She didn't want to get involved with anybody at the moment though... relationships were hard and she never found herself able to really commit to anyone. 

He propped himself up on an elbow and quirked a dark blonde eyebrow at her, seeming to almost read her thoughts. "We can get to know each other, I'm really not too much of a weirdo. There's a bar close to the here, The Cove, you know it?"

Sera raised an eyebrow and nodded. She knew it, alright.

He continued. "We could get drinks, have some laughs, no expectations or anything. I'm new in town... just trying to have a good time with a beautiful woman." 

She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment before meeting his lidded gaze. _It's not like **he's** in town anyways._ _What's wrong with a little distraction?_

"Alright. I'm going to take pity on you... but only because I don't have plans and don't want to be bored tonight."

A spark lit in his eyes, and a satisfied smile crept over his face. "You won't regret it."

"Yeah, yeah," Sera rolled her eyes, motioning for him to lay back down. She proceeded to wipe the goop and blood off his neck so that she could see the design better. "Let's just get this the fuck over with."

"Music to my ears," He replied, drowned out by her louder, "Shut up!" before her tattoo gun once again _bzz_'d to life.

* * *

"Any aftercare instructions for me, then?" Sal had asked, wincing as she lightly taped gauze to his neck. 

"Keep it clean. Don't be an idiot." She practically grunted at him. 

"Well, fat chance of that," he laughed, a low growly laugh that drew a small smile from her. 

"Alright, I've got to close down the shop and don't want you waiting around here while I do it. Why don't you head over to the bar and I'll meet you there in 15." Sera said, looking him over and thinking, _I can't believe I'm hanging out with a total stranger tonight. What has my life come to?_

Watching his biceps flex as he straightened his shirt and pulled the collar away from his freshly wounded neck, she then remembered why. He'd offered her a tip after he paid for his tattoo, but she'd waved him off. "Just get me a drink and we're straight." 

He agreed after making her promise not to completely ditch him (although, making her promise _not to_ oddly made her _want to_). Sal finally pulled his coat on and left, and she thought she heard the loud-then-fading rumble of a motorcycle shortly after the doors closed behind him. 

Sera began to clean her tools and work space, mentally checking off everything she needed to do. It was only around 6 o'clock, and the sun was still shining, so normally the shop would have stayed open a bit longer. There had been an artists' convention a few cities over, and she had offered to man the shop while everyone attended, meaning she got to close up whenever she damn well wanted to. She didn't much care for networking anyways - the fewer people who knew her name, the better. Not to say that she was antisocial, but she just did not enjoy having fake conversations. 

Sera made a final run to the restroom and finished her business before looking herself over in the mirror. She wasn't sure what a typical artist looked like, but she'd fair that she met that criteria pretty squarely. Her curly, light blonde hair fell just above her shoulders, the ends dyed a fading silvery-purple. Sera looked maybe a bit more feminine than normal, in a black overall-style dress with a white turtleneck sweater underneath - black stockings and boots completing her outfit. Her silver nose ring, looped around the side of one nostril, winked back at her in illumination of the overhead light. 

Her arms and legs, covered by her warm clothes, were scattered with various tattoos she had accumulated over her 31 years of life. Some people might say that she 'covered her beauty' with tattoos, a nose ring, and dyed hair... but she felt that those modifications weeded out the shitty people from her life. She didn't have time for judgmental assholes who thought that having the whitest teeth in the world was the most important thing ever. Obviously, it's not like she had a problem getting laid, either. 

Her fingers were adorned with various rings, and she frowned down at one in particular. It was the ring that her father had supposedly given her, made of silver and embellished with pearls that seemed to glow in their luminescence. She thought that she'd seen the pearls flicker oddly in the light, and wondered if it would storm tonight after all (despite the weather people harping that they were going through a particularly dry season). Sera hoped that the sea would remain calm in the coming days.

There was one interesting thing to know about Sera; she hated the sea. Perhaps, on a surface level, it was because the sea took away her best friend. Maybe that was dramatic - it's not like he was dead or anything. But he lived a life that she would never be able to wrap her head around or fully understand, despite all the stories he told her. Deeper than that, she knew that the sea was simply _not something to be fucked with_. The sea could take countless lives without a single thought or the conscious to feel bad in doing so. She knew that the sea - that nature itself - could never be evil, but there was a lack of care in the waves that scared her to her primal core. Ironic, right?

Her best friend was pretty much a sea god, so you'd think she would have a greater affinity for those deep waters. The town where she lived, a small coastal area in Maine, profited and flourished off the sea and its provisions to the town. Nevertheless, there was just something she didn't trust about it. It was instinctual, and it couldn't be argued with, which she knew from experience. She couldn't even count the amount of times that Arthur had tried to get her to swim out into the waters with him. Much to his chagrin, she would let him know that she would _never, ever_ join him. 

Shaking her head, she gave herself one last glance before turning to leave the room and the shop. She shrugged on her coat as she closed the door behind her, quickly locking the three different sets of locks. Sera briefly had the desire to just go home and get into her pajamas, surrounded by her art and her books, where everything was safe and the sea was just an abstract thought. She quickly dashed the thought, remembering the enticement of the night ahead of her, and walked to her car - a simple white sedan slathered in various ideological slogans. Her favorite at the moment read, "Comet for President", with an image of a comet headed straight for Earth. 

A couple minutes later, Sera was rolling up to one of the few dive bars in town. If she was being honest, this was probably the most 'shithole' of them all in terms of appearance, but the beer was cheap and the food wasn't completely dirt. Sera quickly climbed out of her car and walked up to the entrance, spying a black Yamaha motorcycle along the way that she assumed must belong to the rather dimwitted, but cute, Sal Borghese. 

Sera opened the door, shining the setting sun's light into the bar, and she briefly felt like God shining his light upon the dingy Earth and its human masses. That is to say, every roughneck in the bar turned to shoot her a glare before realizing exactly who she was - a _local_. She was forgiven for her intrusion upon their realization, and everyone seemed to turn around in disinterest, aside from a few nods of acknowledgements from more familiar faces. 

"Hey, Sera!" The bartender on duty called to her, a black-haired and middle aged woman who had been working there as long as Sera could remember. "Hey, Rebecca," she called out in return, giving her a warm smile, before turning to look for the man who had the undertaking of entertaining her tonight. 

She immediately spotted his long arm as it shot in the air, giving her a brief signal to catch her eye. He waved his hand at her in a jolly movement, his eyes seeming to twinkle at her from all the way across the bar. Sera smirked at him and started her way over, not missing the pointed eyebrow that Rebecca sent her way in amusement. _"Get it girl!"_, she thought she heard the older woman mock-whisper at her. Sera reached a hand around her back to flip the woman off, and she cackled in response. 

"I can't believe you didn't ditch me!" Sal crowed at her as soon as she reached the corner table he'd chosen for them. She liked his table choice, away from the crowd with enough silence to hear each other and be able to talk. 

"Oh, I thought about it..." Sera grinned. "But then I remembered that free beer you owe me." She finished as she sat down across from him in a high chair. Sera was a little on the shorter-than-average side, standing at 5'5" without heels, but she was still able to deftly climb onto the chair without looking like she was struggling.

In response, the man pushed a tall glass of fizzing beer her way. "Already on that," he supplied with an impish look. 

"You know, a girl isn't supposed to drink from an open container that's been handled by a stranger..." Sera drawled, eyeing the drink skeptically. 

A look of concern flashed in Sal's eyes, which she noted were a deep grayish blue, framed by dark blonde eyelashes. "Ah, hell. I didn't even think of that. I swear to God I didn't do anything fucked up to it." He tried to assure her, raising a large hand in innocence.

Sera believed him, and she knew that Rebecca could probably spot anything wrong with her if anything were to happen. Still, she decided to play with Sal a bit. "Take a sip of it, first, so I know I can trust you." She ordered him in mock seriousness. 

He locked eyes with her as he grabbed the drink without a word and began to gulp the beer down without any hesitancy. She thought he was just going to take a sip, but he ended up downing the entire drink. Sera's eyes widened slightly in concern. 

The man slammed the glass back onto the table and gave a very loud belch. “Wow,” Sera murmured after a moment of silence in which he stared at her triumphantly. 

“Did you just drink... ALL of my free beer?” She pouted. 

“Couldn’t have you thinking I was trying to spirit you away somewhere, now could I?” He said matter-of-factly. 

Sera internally _aww_’d at that. “Well, hopefully you can handle your beer. I’d be tipsy after that.” She replied, eyeing the large glass. 

“Off just that?!” He questioned incredulously. “We’re gonna have to work on your tolerance, sweetheart.” Sal shook his head sadly. 

“Hey, at least I know my limits.” Her eyes flitted away for a moment. “I definitely did not know it in the past.” She said, referencing her college days in Seattle that she was rather tight-lipped about. 

“Hmm, I’d love to hear more about that.” He leaned forward, intrigued. 

“If you play your cards right,” Sera tilted her head, a sly smile playing on her lips. 

“I’m a big dumbass, so you’re gonna have to spell out which cards are the right ones.” He told her factually, clasping his hands together.

She threw her head back at that, snorting in amusement. He began laughing too, making fun of her for “being a little piglet”. She then made fun of him for having a giant block of rock for a head, and he’d touched around his face pretending to be horrified.

”Alright, well, you have deprived me of a beer for long enough.” Sera grumbled at him after a lull in their teasing. She climbed out of her chair to go to the bar, and waved him down when he tried to get up and convince her to stay. “It’s my treat, let me get it,” He’d argued with her, but she ignored him. 

“I’m not an infant, I’ll get it myself. Don’t worry though, I’m still putting it on your tab!” She called over to him as she made her way to the front. 

Rebecca was waiting for her as soon as she got there. “Well, well... that is quite the piece you’ve got on your arm tonight,” she drew her words out, eyeing Sal lustfully. 

Sera glanced back to see him punching his giant thumbs onto his phone’s keypad, appearing to be texting someone while frowning down at the screen in concentration. He seemed to feel her gaze, and glanced up momentarily to smirk knowingly at her and the bartender before returning to his phone. 

“Eh, he’s alright.” Sera replied, smirking in return. Rebecca shook her head at that. “I don’t know where ya find em, girl, but I need you to hook a sister up. Now, what do you want? Beer, beer, orrrrr... beer?” The bartender joked, and Sera mock-groaned at her bad humor. 

“I’ll take the fizzy stuff,” She confirmed, acting as though it had truly been a tough decision. 

Rebecca turned around to grab a glass for her, and she stood there momentarily, zoning out while she tapped her fingers. 

It was then that the door to the bar swung open, and she, like everyone else, turned to glare at the newcomer accusingly. Listen, it’s much funner when you’re not on the receiving end, okay?

Her mouth dropped open in pure surprise as she recognized who was coming through the door. 

Thomas... sweet Thomas, who had been almost like a father figure to her in all these years... 

...and him. Arthur. 

Her heart soared and plummeted at once, and she unconsciously reached up to touch her chest before quickly dropping it in realization. 

They saw her almost immediately, Thomas calling out to her as Arthur’s warm brown eyes simply locked with hers in a steady connection that was as familiar to her as her own body. 

She was instantly pulled into a friendly hug by Thomas, and she knew that he was talking to her, but she couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. Sera was too distracted by the man in front of her, who seemed to eclipse the entire world as he stood in the doorway, the light lovingly outlining his solid frame. 

Arthur was smiling at her, his eyes crinkling as if he felt the same way. As if he understood what she was feeling, and felt it too. They were taking each other in, all too intimately, and it felt like they were alone in that dingy bar for an intoxicating moment. 

And then the moment was over, as Rebecca firmly clinked her glass of beer onto the counter. “Hey Thomas, hey little Arthur! Long time no see!” She shouted at then before moving away to help another customer seated at the bar. 

Sera looked back at them, reaching over to grab her drink, as if that would anchor her back to reality. 

The two familiar men remained standing, looking at her expectantly, and she realized that she hadn’t said a word to either of them yet. 

Even better... or worse... Sera remembered that she was currently on a date. Her best friend (and long time crush, if she were being honest, which she usually wasn’t) had just arrived, along with the person who was practically her father figure. In effect, the last two people she would ever want to run into while on a date. 

Shit. 


	4. The Broken Doll

“Arthur,” Sera croaked, her voice sounding dry even to her own ears. She robotically tucked a blonde curl behind her ear, blinking up at him. “Wow... it's been months.” She stiltedly attempted conversation, unsure if her words sounded normal. 

“Can you believe this kid? Hopped right out and onto the dock to scare his unsuspecting old man.” Thomas chastised, squeezing his hand on Arthur's mountain of a shoulder.

Sera’s eyes flicked to Thomas, and she hoped that the smile she sent him in response wasn’t twinged with any pity or sadness. She knew what he had likely been doing at the dock... the same thing he'd been doing for years on end.

“It keeps you sharp, old man.” Arthur rumbled back at his father. Sera turned her face to him, and ran her eyes up and down his body. The last few years, he’d begun to look even more wild than he did when he was younger. Arthur’s hair was longer and wavier now, and she eyed the kinks and highlights in his hair, provided by good ole seawater and sun.

He wore a beaten black shirt, and an even more worn leather jacket, along with some slung-on jeans and boots. His skin was its familiar olive tan, and she knew his arms and torso were graced with intricate black ink designs. She felt a source of pride in his tattoos, remembering the day he had brought Atlantean steel to her home, the sole metal capable of penetrating his skin. He’d trusted her to ink designs inspired by his father’s ancestry, paying homage to the human side of his DNA.

Arthur had been gone for a long time. Based on the news footage of “The Aquaman” that had been playing on loop lately, she knew exactly what he had been up to. Sera was proud of him for all the good he was doing in the world - it seemed to have given him a sense of self worth that he used to lack, although she knew he would never admit that.

Nevertheless, she had missed him. It was an ache that never seemed to fully fade... no matter where the paths of their lives would take them. 

Sera had promised herself a long time ago that she wouldn't dwell on what couldn't be, though. She would accept Arthur in the small doses that he unwittingly gave her, knowing that it was for the best that he was in-and-out of her life anyways. Sera could handle Arthur in small doses with almost no problem, but it was harder the times that he stayed for weeks on end before leaving without a warning.

With that thought in mind, Sera wordlessly released her clasp on her beer, leaving it on the counter, and stepped close to him with her arms widened for the rough hug she knew was coming her way. 

His honeycomb-colored eyes squinted cheerily in response. “Ser-bear!” He practically roared, the edges of his mouth curled widely, framed by his monumental beard. He slung his heavy arms over her shoulders, pulling her into his chest rather roughly, and her heart stuttered in response. "Hi, Goober," Sera murmured, tilting her head up slightly so that she could be heard over the expansiveness of his body, feeling his facial hair scrub against the side of her forehead. She was enveloped by his smell, which she surprisingly didn't mind, as it was tinged with something that could only be described as sea-like. Sera decided to fuck with him anyways, though. "You need a shower, Arthur, you smell like you just crawled out of a whale's ass." She whispered up at him, her sweet tone of voice not matching her words as she tilted her head back as much as his arms would allow in order to raise her eyebrows at him. 

"Oh, you don't like how I smell?" He drawled, his grin becoming devilish, and she instantly realized her mistake. Arthur quickly moved his arms down to wrap around her waist, and then he lifted her up against his chest with a solid squeeze, leaning backwards and taking her with him. He began swinging her from side to side as she shrieked, dipping his head down into the crook of her neck to make evil growling noises like the dork he was. She began slamming her fists down on his shoulder in retaliation, knowing that her lousy hits were about as effective as a toddler's on him. 

"Thomas, make him heel," She turned her head to look at Thomas pleadingly. The man in question leaned against the bar in boredom, the situation before him nothing that he hadn't seen before. He took a long sigh, as if she was putting him out, and then raised his voice at Arthur. 

"Put her down, ya shit." He said, swinging a leg out to limply kick his son. 

His son's lips went to her ears, and he made a loud, squealing kissy noise that about killed her ear drum, before he released her. His raised his palms innocently as she instantly stepped away from him, reaching around herself to readjust her clothing. "You're so annoying," she said, shaking her head, a small laugh escaping her despite herself.

"You love it," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders, and eliciting an eye roll from her. Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong. 

"Well," she said after a moment, glancing between the two men. "How long is he here for?" She directed her question at Thomas while shoving a thumb in Arthur's direction. He caught her thumb and shook it around for a second before letting her hand drop.

"That's a good question... son?" Thomas asked, the lines in his forehead deepening. 

Arthur brushed some strands of hair out of his face as he looked around the bar for a moment, his eye catching over the new karaoke machine that had been installed a couple of months ago. "Just a few days," he answered, his voice deepening as he brushed a hand over his beard. "I was hoping to catch up with dad," he said, tilting his head at Thomas while meeting her eyes, "and you, if you're free this week," he finished.

She tried to give an understanding nod, while internally mulling over his words. So he'd only be there for a short stay... okay, she could work with that. She reflected on her earlier thoughts, of how she preferred him in small doses, and couldn't help but feel like she was the biggest liar ever. "Yeah, of course!" Sera responded after a moment. "We could all do dinner tomorrow, and then I could drive you to my studio? I have a couple of pieces I've been wanting to show you," she continued, her voice becoming tinged with excitement.

It was always a ritual of hers and Arthur's, for him to come check out the new paintings she had finished. Sera had a penchant for painting underwater landscapes, and she loved hearing his feedback. Was it weird that she created artwork out of her deepest, darkest fear? Maybe, but she doubted she was the first artist to do that. He'd always tell her some insane story of something he had seen or fought, which would usually inspire her next work of art. 

Thomas, who was now seated at the bar, raised a finger without looking back at them. "Did someone say dinner? Count me in."

Sera grinned at the back of his head, and then turned back to Arthur, who she could tell had his interest piqued. "I had a feeling you'd have a stockpile next time I saw you," He said with lop-sided grin, that somehow seemed false to her, as she saw a flicker of emotion flash in his eyes. Arthur didn't give her time to dwell on his expression, though. "So are you not free tonight? You here by yourself?" He asked as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, frowning slightly as he scanned the bar. Sera grimaced, knowing that he wouldn't recognize any of the people in there as one of her few friends. 

She nervously fiddled with her pearl ring, carefully choosing her next words, as he turned back to her. Something in his expression shifted when he looked back at her, and he seemed to scan her up and down with a newfound understanding. She, in turn, glanced over and made eye contact with Sal. He was seated at their table, his jaw resting in one hand, and he raised an eyebrow as if to say, _You coming back? Or are you going to stand there all day? _The man then looked down at his phone, seeming to get a new notification. 

"I may or may not be on a date? Like, not an actual date, I was just asked out by one of my clients." She hesitantly explained, deciding that honesty was the best policy. Arthur's dusky pink lips rubbed together, his expression unreadable, as she looked back up at him. "Sorry, this is awkward isn't it?" Sera said with a laugh. 

Thomas spun around in his chair, clearly listening in on their entire conversation. "_My Sera? On a date?_ Arthur, quick, look outside. Tell me, are there pigs flying?" Arthur stared at him blankly, as if at a loss for words. Sera snorted at his words, however, and then pointed her finger at him. "Hey, I am a total catch, old man!" She said while gesturing down at herself. 

Thomas put his hands on his hips at that, repeating her words in a freakishly high-pitched voice that made both her and Arthur cringe. "Never do that again, dad," Arthur said solemnly, to which Sera nodded in agreement. "That was just wrong." She added. 

Thomas flipped them both the bird and turned back around, muttering something about them being _no fun_. She and Arthur looked back at each other at the same time. A fading smile played on Sera's lips, while he still seemed to have a thoughtful expression on his face. His eyes drifted over back to the table where her date was currently seated, tapping away on his cell phone. 

"What was the tattoo?" He asked unexpectedly. 

Sera blinked at him in surprise. "A bird... a swallow. Side of his neck. I designed it, I don't think you've seen it yet." She referred to the design that she hadn't had the opportunity to show him as of yet. 

He nodded and swiped at his beard once more with his hand. She knew that Arthur did that whenever he was at a loss for words. Sera's insides flip-flopped, feeling bad for the awkward position she must have unwittingly put him in. It's not like it was her fault_ at all_, but she knew that if it was her, she wouldn't want to walk in on him on a date.

It was just something they never talked about... dating other people or hooking up. Sera wasn't dumb, she knew that Arthur likely got busy with women left and right when he was away from their hometown, but it was something that she had luckily never had to have been faced with since high school.

She'd always been sure to leave casual flings for the times when he was away. You don't _have to _talk about the dates you go on with your friends, right? She only got a limited amount of time with him anyways, why spend it discussing other people? It's not like any of her flings had turned into actual relationships anyways.

"He looks like a barbed wire and roses kind of guy," Arthur commented after a moment, the slit in his eyebrow accentuated as he raised it at her. Sera laughed in surprise, the back of her hand shooting out to weakly thump against his hard stomach. "Are you _making fun _of my date, Arty?" She accused.

He grinned while quirking his head to the side. "Not at all, I just didn't know that was your type... Always thought you were into nerdy boys. Remember Jimmy?" He asked, amusement in his voice. 

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'll have you know that Jimmy graduated from Harvard a couple of years ago, and is a brilliant neurosurgeon now. My taste is impeccable, fish boy." Sera retorted, reaching over Thomas' shoulder to collect the beer she'd abandoned earlier.

Arthur roared out a laugh, crossing his arms over his chest, and she mentally stabbed away her brain's active imagination, as she reflected on those bulging biceps that she knew existed underneath his jacket. "Hmm, it's a shame you two didn't work out. Didn't he break up with you?" Arthur asked, teasingly. 

A flicker of real annoyance sparked in her chest at that. "Hey, it's not my fault he wanted me to be a freakin' Stepford Wife. We'd have worked out if he had just given me some space." They were of course referring to her old high school relationship - probably the longest relationship she'd ever been in, a whole seven months - where the guy, Jimmy, had wanted her to follow him out to Cambridge and basically become his live-in wife. Sera, who'd just graduated high school at the time and had already been accepted into Washington University as an aspiring art major, had turned that down in a flash. 

She shook her head, thinking back on the doofus who was Jimmy. Thanks to Arthur, she was no longer remembering him a positive light. "I swear, men think that you should just drop everything for them and become their sidekick." She grumbled, taking an angry sip of her beer. 

Arthur chortled at her. "You could never be anyone's sidekick, fishy." Sera raised her mouth from her glass to give him a tiny grin, before he wiped it right off her face. "Who'd want to put up with you for that long?" 

She presented him with her middle finger in response. "Go suck a shark's dick, idiot." 

"What odd, and colorful, language." A raspy voice interjected. Sera gave a tiny jump in surprise, her beer sloshing, and looked over to see that Sal was now standing beside her. She suddenly felt like a shrimp as these two men basically towered over her, and straightened her back a bit. 

“Thought I’d check on ya, hope I’m not interrupting. Hey, I’m Sal.” He quickly spun himself into the conversation, reaching out his hand towards Arthur for one of those bro-y hand grasps that guys did. 

Arthur stared down at the man's hand, and gave him a full once-over with his amber eyes. "Arthur," he said simply, grabbing Sal's hand and giving it a hard squeeze. Sera flicked her eyes between the two, unable to stop herself from comparing the two men. 

Sal was the same height as Arthur, but his body was more like that of a lean boxer as he shifted his weight on either foot. Sal's dark blonde hair and blue eyes contrasted starkly against Arthur's dark features, his long wild hair and bulky muscles seeming to take up more room in the few feet between them.

"How do you know Sera, here?" Sal asked after Arthur dropped his hand.

Sera, the woman in question, didn't answer the question. She was too busy trying to figure out how to end the conversation between the two men. This was just awkward. 

"We grew up together, you could say," Arthur answered shortly, sliding his gaze to hers. She mouthed at him, _Be nice!, _which he pretended he didn't see. 

Sal _hmm_'d at that, and then reached a hand out to place on the small of her back. Sera reminded herself that she needed to be a good date, and tried to make the vibe more welcoming for him. Arthur's eyes narrowed on the hand touching her, which made her feel... weird. All of this was weird. 

"He works abroad," Sera said, referring to Arthur as she spoke to Sal. "Just returned from his job, we were just catching up for a second. Sorry to take so long."

Sal's eyes softened, and he nodded at her. "Cool. You're okay, don't apologize. I actually had something come up with my job, so I need to get out of here pretty soon. I was going to ask if you wanted to do a raincheck?" 

Sera nodded enthusiastically. That was _fucking perfect_. "I'd love that... what do you do, anyways?" She tacked on her question, realizing that this man was still virtually a stranger to her. What kind of job did he have that took him away from his life on a Wednesday evening? Meanwhile, Arthur seemed to just be watching the two of them interact, his face carefully blank as his arms remained crossed, and she couldn't help but feel like she was a teenager being chaperoned. 

Sal grinned cheekily at her, oblivious to her awkward dynamic with Arthur. "I'll tell you all about it next time I see you. Give me your phone, I'll put in my number." 

Sera frowned at him, but did as he asked. "Make your contact name _Weird Man With Neck Tattoo_ for me, will you?" She commented. The dark blonde man grinned, his blue eyes flicking up to her in heated amusement, before he looked back down at her phone screen to punch in his digits. Sera saw movement from beside her, and looked over to see Arthur moving away from them to stand beside his father at the bar. Thank God. 

"Okay, shoot me a text so I'll have yours too, yeah?" He asked as he handed her phone back to her. She grinned, feeling like she had some great power she could leverage over him. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. You'll just have to wait and see." Sera responded, looking down at her nails in fake boredom while he let out a slow laugh.

Her pearl ring once again caught her attention as she glanced at her hand, flickering in the light, and she tried to blink away the sudden feeling that there was _something coming_, the back of her neck prickling uncomfortably. She didn't know when, where, how, or why... but her ring always seemed to tell her whenever there was a storm on the horizon. Visions of dark clouds and rolling tide waters blurred into her vision as she gazed at the small pearl, making her feel as though she was going cross eyed as her focus sharpened.

"Sera?" Sal called her name, and she suddenly snapped back to attention, realizing that she must have zoned out for a moment, and she dropped her hand, which she realized she'd brought up in front of her face. The man in front of her seemed to have called her name more than once, and she glanced over to see his dark blue eyes clouded with confusion.

"Sorry!" She said instantly, feeling the gaze of Arthur and Thomas on her back. She didn't need to look at them to know they were scoping her out. "I, uh, just remembered something. What were you saying?" She asked, trying to seem nonchalant and like she didn't just visibly zone out in front of her date. 

_Goddammit - there goes Crazy Sera again, _she thought to herself bitterly.

"Must be something important, you looked freaked the hell out," he responded as she blinked up at him, still trying to regain her sense of normality. "You okay?" He asked, leaning forward to lock eyes with her. 

"I-I'm fine, yeah..." Sera nodded, looking down, unable to maintain his gaze. "Well, I don't want to hold you up, you said your work needed you, right?" She asked, changing the subject and reminding him that he had been leaving. Sal rocked back on his heels, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Yeah," he agreed, sounding a little disappointed. 

He raised a heavy hand and placed it atop her head for a moment before brushing strands of hair out of her face, and she gazed up at him again, softer this time. Sal retracted his hand and gave her a comforting smile, seeming to sense that something was bothering her. "Alright, well I'll catch you later then, Sera..." He leaned forward to murmur near her ear, "Text me." He didn't ask that time, and she smiled a bit in response. 

"I will," she promised. 

Sal looked a little triumphant at that, and gave her a cheerful smirk. "Alright, off I go. Don't keep me waiting too long, now." He said with a wink, before looking over at Arthur and Thomas to raise his hand in farewell as he walked out the door. 

Sera glanced over at the two men to see them both half-turned around in their seats, watching her and the dark blonde man say their goodbyes. Thomas returned his wave, while Arthur nodded solemnly, keeping his gaze on her. She knew from the look in his eyes that he was appraising her, sensing that she was off about something. 

She walked back over to them, raising her eyebrows at Arthur. "Take a picture if you're going to stare that long." She grumbled. 

"What's the matter?" He asked her seriously, ignoring her words. Sera held his gaze for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to be honest or not, and sighed as she realized that he would get the truth out of her one way or another. She glanced over at Thomas to see him facing forward now, looking his best to pretend that he was minding his own business. 

"I just got one of my... uh, feelings." She explained shortly, scratching the back of her neck.

Understanding flashed over his face at that, and he reached out to grasp her wrist. She shivered, feeling his warm skin against her as his rough thumbpad brushed over her skin. 

Arthur was one of the few people that knew about her _feelings_. Her therapist told her that it was a part of her anxiety, these sudden and immense feelings that there was something indescribably wrong. They were always tied to her pearl ring - the ring that she'd been left with whenever she was abandoned, and Arthur's mother had found her. 

Sera felt a sense of sadness wash over her, as she remembered the story of how she'd arrived in their small town. Her jackass sperm donor of a father had left her outside of the lighthouse during the tail end of a hurricane's storm, the story being that Arthur's mother had only caught a glimpse of him before he'd driven off. His mother had taken care of her for a month, before being forced to bring her to the authorities and enter her into foster care. Sera had been adopted and returned to the state three times before someone had finally settled on her for keeps, that someone being a kindly older woman who ran a knitting shop in town. _Esther_, she thought, smiling sadly.

The older woman had passed away a couple of years ago, and her heart always squeezed in fondness when she thought of her. Sera had reminded the woman of her own daughter, who had died in a car accident, and she'd sometimes call her Isabelle by mistake. Near the end, Esther's memory had begun to fail her, but she always treated Sera with kindness, overlooking her sad backstory and behavioral problems. Everyone who hadn't wanted her had blamed it on the trauma she had likely gone through prior to being dropped off, especially since Sera couldn't remember anything prior to when she'd been brought inside the lighthouse by Arthur's mother, despite having severe anxiety and night terrors.

No one wanted a broken doll, she supposed. 

When she was younger, she used to think they were premonitions, but that didn't exactly check out. Sometimes, she'd get these feelings, and then something like an earthquake would happen. Or, she'd have an unshakeable conviction that something terrible was happening, when the entire day would progress perfectly, without a single hitch. Sera had eventually come to terms with the fact that she simply had a screw loose. 

Arthur's repetitive movements against her skin with his thumb eventually brought her out of her thoughts, and she gave a heavy sigh. He'd watched her emotions play out over her face, and seemed to know exactly where her mind was at. He didn't say anything, just allowed her to process her emotions while being a silent presence at her side. "God, I think I just need to go home and get some sleep." Sera said, tilting her head sadly. 

He swallowed, and then looked down at his feet for a moment. "I'll walk you out."

She shook her head. "No, it's fine, stay here and hang out. I'll leave my porch light on so you'll know I made it home."

Arthur seemed torn, but resettled his weight back on his chair. He knew that he'd be able to see her home from the lighthouse and confirm that she'd made it home okay. Plus, he wouldn't tell her this, but his hearing was good enough to hear her get into her car from inside the bar. Arthur nodded without another word, but tightened his grip on her wrist to pull her close to him. 

She stood between his legs and accepted the firm hug he gave her, inwardly laughing at the fact that they were the same height when he was seated. The front of her body was perfectly molded to his, and even in her sour state of mind, she could feel the heat that he always ignited within her. Sera took a sharp inhale and savored the familiar scent of her best friend, taking comfort in his warm embrace for a long moment. She regretfully released him, feeling his hands slide away from her back as she stepped away, and slung her arm over Thomas to give him a small shake. "Bye, old man. See you two tomorrow for dinner, right?" She asked, looking between the two of them. 

"Oh, you bet your ass." Thomas responded, gazing up at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Bye, kiddo."

Sera gave them both a tight grin and then left the bar without another word. She felt Arthur's eyes on her back as she walked out of view, and quickly jogged over to her car to get the hell out of there. Sera pointedly kept her gaze away from the seashore as she drove away from the bar, and sighed in relief as she made it further into town. 

She pulled up to main strip in town, and drove through a narrow alleyway to park behind the light blue building where Esther's knitting shop used to be. The woman had left Sera her estate, and she'd been renting out the building to a kitschy antique store, while living in the studio apartment located above. Sera climbed the wrought iron stairs that led to her door, and quickly unlocked the door to reach inside and flick on her outdoor patio light. 

She squinted to see the top of the lighthouse in the distance, feeling a sense of security at the sight of it. This was a view that she'd known since she was a kid, and it was her nightly ritual to give it a final glance. 

_Goodnight, Arthur. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it took me a while to update this one. Things have been crazy (as of today's update we are in the middle of a Pandemic! Yay!) I'm going to be making an effort to write on this work as much as I can during my downtime, considering I have nowhere to escape aside from my keyboard! Hope you all are staying safe, and please remember to wash your hands! :)


End file.
